Essay
Unit 14 Health and Social Care Distinction
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A completed coursework unit at Distinction level.
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It is difficult to follow and establish which parts are which in the unit. It isn't split into into like P1, P2, P3 etc
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That is true, this one is the assignment version so my teacher told me not to :)
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In this information pack, two specific physiological disorders will be detailed: breastcancer and Alzheimer's dementia.
Physiological Disorders
Physiological disorders are disorders that affect the physiology of a being and
therefore interfere with how processes are carried out in the human body, thus
causing damage to the body. As the body has homeostatic mechanisms, it is
designed to maintain a constant internal environment which is why certain
mechanisms are in place to revert changes to the body, such as a negative feedback
loop. However, if an individual has a physiological disorder, their homeostatic
mechanisms will likely not to the extent that they would need to in order to revert the
changes caused by the disorder.
Investigative Procedures
When an individual experiences symptoms that they consider to be abnormal, they
will likely attend their GP surgery in order for their symptoms to be explored and the
appropriate course of treatment to be decided. Between the ages of 40 and 74,
individuals are offered a free NHS health check every five years (NHS, 2019) to
check if they have any abnormal observations that could result in them developing,
or already having, a mental or physical health disorder.
At an NHS health check, individuals will see a healthcare professional to discuss
their physical and mental health. Questions will be asked regarding their family
history to see if they require further testing due to being genetically predisposed or
susceptible to certain diseases. Height and weight will be measured by the
professional so that that the individual's BMI can be calculated and appropriate
action can be taken to help them either get to or maintain a healthy weight.
Additionally, their blood pressure will be taken as this is a key indicator of an
individual's health and can indicate early warning signs for hypertension or
cardiovascular disease. Lastly, a routine blood test will be done to check if there are
any abnormalities, such as vitamin deficiencies that require correcting.
Results from these tests are then inputted into an individual’s medical records so that
they can be easily accessed by health professionals. Having a baseline to reference
at a later date can allow professionals to identify any changes in a patient’s condition
to investigate if there has been any improvement or deterioration.
Alzheimer’s
Dementia is a syndrome in which an individual experiences a decline in their
cognitive abilities due to a physiological change in their body. Dementia acts as an
umbrella term for various different disorders that are caused by changes in the brain
resulting in subsequent memory loss: vascular dementia, lewy body dementia,
frontotemporal dementia, creuzdfeldt-jakob and Alzheimer's (Alzheimer’s Society,
2020).
Alois Alzheimer is the doctor who first described Alzheimer's dementia (Alzheimer’s
Society, 2020). At the beginning of the twentieth century, he studied the pathology of
the nervous system; he then went on to find a patient with an unusual disease of the
, L507466 Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care 22113
cerebral cortex which was at the time unnamed. After she died, her postmortem
identified that her cerebral cortex was thinner than expected and she displayed
senile plaques which were uncommon in those who were not elderly. Alzheimer had
access to a new stain which was then used to identify the neurofibrillary tangles,
later the disease was described as Alzheimers after him (Alzheimer’s Disease
International, 2020).
In Alzheimer’s disease, the
connections between nerve cells
become damaged. Abnormal levels
of proteins build up in the brain
resulting in plaques which damage
the blood supply to the brain,
subsequently resulting in nerve
cells beginning to die. Between
neurons there are synapses across
which neurotransmitters are passed
in order to send chemical messages
throughout the nervous system
(National Institute of Aging, 2020).
Another feature of Alzheimer's is that the connections between neurons become
damaged, meaning that neurotransmitters cannot pass across them, subsequently
resulting in slower reactions to stimuli due to signals being unable to pass between
neurons (Alzheimer’s Society, 2020).
Primarily, this damage occurs in the hippocampus which is responsible for the
consolidation of short term memory into long term memories (Cherry, 2020). This
means that memories cannot travel to the long term memory store and thus are not
retained. Subsequently, individuals with Alzheimer's dementia will be unable to form
new memories, but will be able to hold onto memories that are already being stored
in their long term memory. Therefore, this may result in individuals with Alzheimer's
feeling nostalgic as their primary memories will be from the past which may make
them feel happy as they will be able to remember happy times, however only having
memories from the past may negatively affect them as they feel as though they are
being left behind due to not being able to form new memories. Many individuals with
Alzheimer's will also experience a decline in their mental wellbeing as they will fail to
remember their family which may spark feelings of loneliness, thus negatively
influencing their wellbeing further.
Once an individual reaches the age of sixty five, their risk of Alzheimer's doubles
every five years (NHS, 2020) which is why Alzheimer's is significantly more prevalent
in the elderly. As the overall UK population is aging (NHS, 2020), more and more
individuals are developing Alzheimer's as it is something that becomes more
common with age due the human body beginning to work less effectively. With age,
the brain begins to shrink which can then result in unstable molecules being
produced in excess. These molecules can then cause proteins to begin to become
entrapped within the brain and subsequently damage neurons which therefore
results in Alzheimer's developing (Cherry, 2020).
Additionally, individuals with down’s syndrome have an increased risk of developing
the disease as the genetic trigger for the syndrome can also result in amyloid
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, L507466 Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care 22113
proteins developing in tangles which are the main
characteristic of Alzheimer's. Since some strong
evidence links heart health to brain health (NHS,
2020) and many individuals with down’s syndrome
will experience heart conditions, this may therefore
increase their risk of Alzheimer's.
Recent research
has linked
cardiovascular
heath to an
individual’s risk
of developing Alzheimer's and thus factors that
negatively impact an individual’s cardiovascular
health will have an effect on their risk of
developing Alzheimer's. Primarily, lifestyle factors
and pre-existing disorders affect an individual’s
cardiovascular health such as a lack of exercise,
obesity, hypertension, poorly controlled type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol (Mayo
Clinic, 2020). It is thought that cardiovascular disorders can cause Alzheimer's as
they can result in defects, preventing blood and thus oxygen from effectively leaving
the heart. If the brain is starved of sufficient oxygen it may become hypoxic (NHS,
2020) which can thus lead to cell death, something associated with Alzheimer's
which can then cause symptoms associated with Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer’s has been found to be linked to
a faulty APOE gene which is found on
chromosome 19 and plays a role in
handling fats in the body (Alzheimer’s
Society, 2020). Inheriting a faulty variation
of this gene increases the risk of an
individual developing the disorder,
especially if the APOE4 gene is inherited
which has been most strongly linked to the disorder. However, having the disorder
does not conclusively determine that an individual will develop the disorder as
multiple factors affect its development within the body. Despite the gene being linked
to Alzheimer's and thus there being a genetic link to the disorder, it is yet unknown
how the gene increases the risk of the disorder (NHS, 2020).
In an individual with Alzheimer's, the musculoskeletal system will be negatively
affected by the disease. As Alzheimer's results in neurotransmitters crossing the
synapse between neurons significantly slower, an individual will react to stimuli
slower than someone without Alzheimer's due to the electrical impulses in their brain
failing to travel at a sufficient speed (NHS, 2020). Therefore, movement will be
significantly impaired in an individual with Alzheimer's resulting in them taking shorter
steps, having poor balance, and shaking or stiffness due to muscles becoming rigid.
Combined with the physical symptoms, individuals will also experience psychological
changes due to Alzheimer's. As well as problems with consolidation of short term
memory to long term memory, individuals with Alzheimer's will typically experience
mental health disorders such as depression (Alzheimer’s Society, 2020).
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Experiencing depression may then negatively influence an individuals condition as
the symptoms of depression may prevent them from accessing their treatment. Since
one of the symptoms of depression is difficulty leaving the house, if an individual did
not have home treatment then they may struggle to get the motivation to attend their
appointments and receive treatment vital to keep them stable. Similarly, experiencing
memory loss may result in individuals failing to remember that they have
appointments which may then negatively affect their health and wellbeing. If
appointments were not attended then an individuals health and wellbeing will not be
monitored which may result in a subsequent decline in their condition without
intervention.
As Alzheimer's progresses, an individual can become aggressive as they will be
confused and lose control over their emotions, which may cause them to be
perceived as a burden by their family as they will be challenging to keep safe so may
be sent into Residential or Nursing Care to ensure they are safe and their health is
monitored. If this occurs then the individual may struggle more with their mental
wellbeing due to feelings of abandonment as they won’t be able to speak with their
family whenever they please due to being further away. However, being surrounded
by many other individuals with similar health conditions in a Care Home may also
help to improve their wellbeing as their social needs will be met due to being
surrounded by others.
As one of the main symptoms of Alzheimer's is decline in memory, it is often easy to
notice when it is developing or has developed as memory is used frequently in
everyday life thus if it begins to decline, other individuals will typically identify the
issue quickly.
In the later stages of Alzheimer's individuals will typically experience more noticeable
signs of Alzheimer's as they will begin to struggle with everyday tasks such as
obtaining adequate nutrition, urinating and speaking (NHS, 2020). Often in this
stage, full time care is required as the individual cannot reliably perform activities
needed to sustain life, such as eating, thus warranting additional support to ensure
that the individual's health is maintained as far as possible.
In the earlier stages, symptoms
will be primarily psychological
as the disease is in the brain
and therefore interfering with its
ability to function as normal.
Affected individuals may begin
to experience symptoms
typically associated with mental
illness such as hallucinations
and changes in their mood.
These symptoms will primarily
be experienced by the affected
individual but could still affect those around them as hallucinations may cause the
individual to become violent or act strangely towards others.
Neuropsychiatric symptoms are now recognised as core features of Alzheimer's
disease (NHS, 2020). As many structural features of a brain with Alzheimer's are
associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms, they are commonly experienced by
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